Piston-ring-contracting tool



W. H. THOMSON.

PISTON RING CONTRACTING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.24. 1920.

1A3%1L3& Patented 00$. 17, m2.

anion wt;

Patented @ct. l7, lQZZ htthlt WILLIAM: H. THOMSON, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

PISTON-RING-CONTRACTING TOOL.

Application filed December 24, 1926.

To all whom it" may concern Be it known that T, WILLIAM H. THOM- soN, citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piston-Ring-Contracting Tools; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of l /AG invention, which will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to a tool for use in placing piston rings of gas engines in position.

, One of the objects of the invention is to furnish a peculiar form of tool that will be universal in its use, in that without the employment of special adjusting parts separate from the clamping means, the device may be used with any and all sizes of pistons.

Another object is that of furnishing a tool of simple structure, and thoroughly effective in operation without the employment of adjustable parts which would tend to; complicate the construction and the manipulation thereof in use.

Still another object is that in a tool of this character, a flexible-band for clamping the piston-ring and furnishing the same with a series of extensions by which the said ring can be compressed and freely guided into the cylinder.

In the appended drawing forming part of this application:

Figure l is an elevation of my improved tool showing a clamping band thereof in section.

Figure 2 is a plan of the tool.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of part of a clamping band.

Figure 4 is a plan of parts of the device shown on a much larger scale than the corresponding parts in Figure 2, portions being in section, and,

Figure 5 is an elevation of a portion of a cylinder-head, piston and piston-ring, showing the application of the tightening band of my invention to the latter.

The numeral 1 represents a shaft having one end formed into a handle portion 2, its other end having secured thereto, in any good manner, a cylindrical member 3.

7 At each side of the latter is a plate 4: mounted each at one end, to turn upon the shaft or relatively to it and the said memof providing Serial No. 433,058.

tier 3, there being pin 5 connecting said p ates spaced from the member.

1s a band of any flexible material desired, preferably of metal, however, for a purpose that will presently appear, one end belng secured to the said pin 5 in such manner that it can freely turn thereon, the opposite end of such band beingsecured as by a pin or screw, indicated at T, to the member 3, it being observed that the band takes several turns around the said member.

Tlhen com alete, the tool appears as in Figure 2 and ready for use. The band is of such length that when unwound, it will encircle a piston of the largest size, for ex ample, and when wound up can he used uppn the smallest piston.

l prefer the use of thin metal for the hand, in order that it will retain its desired form, and in order also, that there may be provided n the inner surface thereof a series of tits 7, for example, nearest one of its edges.

In use, the shaft is turned in a direction to either take up or pay out the band 6 to approximate the circumference of the particular piston size to be enveloped, being slipped down ver the ring to be contracted, whereupon the shaft, by means of its handle portion 2, is turned to take up or shorten the band to shrink the piston-ring 8 of the piston 9, Figure 5, to such a size that it will readily enter the bore 10 of the cylinder 11.

Should the edges f the band, or either of them, overlie the wall of the piston at either side of the groove that receives the ring, the extended tits 7, in projecting further inward than the said piston-wal1, beyond which the band itself may not go due-to resting on said wall, will contract the ring to an extent that will permit it to be readily entered int the cylinder bore.

Again, the band may rest upon the cylinder at the bore, as shown in Figure 5, and the ring may merely rest upon the tits but not be enclosed by them. The ring may then be pushed downward and by that act, crowded over the points of the tits and thus reduced in size so as to readily slip down through the ring into the bore.

One of the advantages of my form of tool is that the band practically fits the ring at every point in its circumference. That is to say, when the band is tightened upon the piston, by taking it up upon the member 3,

see Figure 4, the shaft and the plates 4 swing around to the position shown in dotted lines against the ring being contracted so that the plates and the said member 3, with its windings of the band, assist in placing pressure upon the ring, the latter being practically endless in use, since the gap or space between the band-ends is spanned by the parts described.

In my tool there are no parts to adjust or release from one point and attach to another *in order to obtain the proper clamping size of theband, but this adjustment is readily and easily made by the turn of the shaft 1.

The member 3 may have such a circumference, of course, that but a slight rotation of the shaft will make a considerable difference in the size of the loop formed by the band, and the latter will not be distorted by being bentup on a member 3 too small in circumference. I

The said member 3 may be a part of the shaft 1, and will be so considered in the ing attachment to the arm,

, 2. In a tool for contracting piston rings,

in combination, a winding-drum including a shaft extending axially therefrom having a handle portion, an arm at one side of the drum free to move about the axis thereof, a

band secured at one end to the drum adapted to wind thereon and at its other end attached to the said arm.

3. In a tool for contracting piston rings, in combination, a. winding-drum including a shaft extending axially therefrom having a handle portion, an arm at one side of the I drum free to move about the axis thereof, a

' band secured at one end to the drum adapted to Wind thereon and at its other end attached to the said arm, said band having ing the loop formed thereby, said band hav mg a series of pro ections on its inner surface.

(3. A tool for the purposes described, including in its construction a flexible band, means to which the ends of the band are attached adapted for contracting and expanding the loop formed thereby, said band havinga series of projections on its inner surface near one of its edges.

7. In a tool for the purpose described, a shaft having a flexible band secured to one end adapted to Wind thereon, an arm'mounted on the shaft at each side of the band in which said shaft is adapted to rotate, said band extending between the arms and attached at its other end to the arms, forming loop, anda plurality of extensions projecting from the band on the surface thereof inside the loop.

8. In a tool for the purpose described, a. shaft having a flexible band secured to one end adapted to wind thereon, an arm mounted on the shaft at each side of the band in which said shaft is adapted to rotate, said band extending between the arms and attached at its other end to the arms, forming a loop, and a plurality of extensions projectingfrom the band on the surface thereof inside the loop and disposed nearest one edge of the same.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. THOMSON.

Witnesses:

MABEL F. IRELAND, L. M. THUnLow. 

